Delaware was the first official state, attaining its statehood on December 7, 1787. The other 12 states of the original 13 colonies, in the order in which they attained statehood, were Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island. These were the states that composed the Second Continental Congress that met in the summer of 1775 in Philadelphia, Pa. The delegates from these states decided to declare American Independence and resist the British army, leading to the American Revolution.

The last of the 50 states to formally attain statehood was Hawaii in August of 1959. It is the only state made up entirely of islands. The U.S. Capital, Washington DC, also known as the District of Columbia, is not officially considered a state. It is a federal district.